There is an endless fascination to fairy and folk tales. As a child, I remember listening to them at my great-aunt’s knee: she was a great storyteller, and often embellished and modified tales, so that cruel and sad parts were left out. The same tales were restored to their original form when told by my mother, who was adamant that a child should not be shielded from cruelties and horror. Needless to say, I preferred my great-aunt.

Later on, I came to read and love the Classics Junior series of cThere is an endless fascination to fairy and folk tales. As a child, I remember listening to them at my great-aunt’s knee: she was a great storyteller, and often embellished and modified tales, so that cruel and sad parts were left out. The same tales were restored to their original form when told by my mother, who was adamant that a child should not be shielded from cruelties and horror. Needless to say, I preferred my great-aunt.

Later on, I came to read and love the Classics Junior series of comics (sadly out of print now, alas) which introduced me to the Brothers Grimm (Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Beauty and the Beast et al), and I was hooked for life on the magic of fairy tales, and the world of make-believe and fantasy. My fascination only increased when I discovered that underneath the beauty there lay a morass of dark desires and fears, and these tales are only the tips of the icebergs of darkest human nature.

So when I was able to grab Italo Calvino’s famous compendium of Italian folktales at relatively reasonable price, I was ecstatic. And the famous novelist did not let me down: here is a collection, neatly compiled and docketted, of stories collected from all over Italy. Calvino provides informative footnotes to all tales, pointing out the similarities, sometimes giving detailed information on the teller (mostly old ladies) and pointing out the influence of Grimm and the later romantic legends. In many an instance, he has combined different versions of the same story (adding his own poetic embellishments) to create what he deems the best version.

It would be a Herculean task to analyse the stories in detail: rather, I would like to give general impressions.

◾These pagan tales have been Christianised to a certain extent. The devil makes frequent appearances, but usually behaves more like the inept ogre or giant of the traditional fairy tale than the arch-fiend. There is especially a Lame Devil who is almost lovable in his bumbling inefficiency.

◾Even though God himself does not make an appearance, there are a number of stories where angels and saints play an active part. There is a whole cycle of stories with Jesus and Peter playing the roles of the wise master and the foolish disciple.

◾Kings and queens are plentiful – they can be found in almost all neighbourhoods, living across the street from you. And when the poor servant-girl is rescued by a prince or king, the kingdom is specifically mentioned (i.e. “King of Portugal”, “Prince of Spain” etc.). I was surprised to find that the “King of India” makes his appearance in one story.

◾Some of these tales are romances, as pointed out by Calvino: for example, the tale of the Slave Mother, kidnapped by Turkish pirates. It (and the Christian references) indicate that the stories have come some way from their pagan origins.

A very satisfying read overall. Only a word of statutory caution: weighing in at seven hundred and fifty plus pages and two hundred stories, this is a ponderous tome, best taken in small doses. Reading at a stretch would tire one out and jade the palate due to a surfeit of magic and wizardry....more

As a tiny child, I read this an enormous number of times -- I remember bringing it in to my kindergarten class to show to my teacher (who, certainly, had doubts that I'd actually read it. Psh. (Yes. I am hugely pretentious.))

Regardless. I've read bits and pieces of it again and again over the years, and it remains one of the most delightful books I know. There is no reason for this not to be a favorite book for kids -- it's exciting, full of an enormous number (200!) of vivid stories perfect inAs a tiny child, I read this an enormous number of times -- I remember bringing it in to my kindergarten class to show to my teacher (who, certainly, had doubts that I'd actually read it. Psh. (Yes. I am hugely pretentious.))

Regardless. I've read bits and pieces of it again and again over the years, and it remains one of the most delightful books I know. There is no reason for this not to be a favorite book for kids -- it's exciting, full of an enormous number (200!) of vivid stories perfect in size for a child's attention span (just a few pages each). There's also, though, no reason for this not to be a favorite book for adults. Each story is a perfect little gem, sometimes dark but never grim (or, for that matter, Grimm), sometimes wry and funny but never mean-spirited, and on and on and on.

I've started reading these to my days-old son, ostensibly for his benefit but really for my own. With 200 stories, I figure this should last us until he's 7 months plus, and then I intend to start over again. Seriously. I can't get enough of these....more

Wow! It's hard to even know where to begin reviewing this collection. I started reading it in 2015 for a group read, and finished about a third. I set it aside meaning to return to it, but never did. At the start of this year, I decided I would read 10 fairy tales from it between every print book I finished. And 7 months later, I'm finished! I enjoyed the process so much I'm going to start doing that with another fairy tale collection.

And I literally read it to pieces. Both the front and back coWow! It's hard to even know where to begin reviewing this collection. I started reading it in 2015 for a group read, and finished about a third. I set it aside meaning to return to it, but never did. At the start of this year, I decided I would read 10 fairy tales from it between every print book I finished. And 7 months later, I'm finished! I enjoyed the process so much I'm going to start doing that with another fairy tale collection.

And I literally read it to pieces. Both the front and back cover have torn off, and now a chunk fell out. I'm going to have to upgrade to a hardback version!

These tales are magical. If you're someone only familiar with the Grimms, you have to read this. Or any fairytale fan needs to read this. Or if you think you're not a fairytale fan, then maybe you should read this.

Most traditional stories were past down from generation to generation in an oral tradition which made for well paced and entertaining stories. Sadly they are often retold in the hands of someone with a pace that is comparable to a three legged horse in a race, and sadly not as entertaining. (I know some of you are thinking I'm awful for that right now and are taking a moment to think the worst of me.) Thankfully, Italo Calvino lent his hand to the collecting and retelling of Italian folktales anMost traditional stories were past down from generation to generation in an oral tradition which made for well paced and entertaining stories. Sadly they are often retold in the hands of someone with a pace that is comparable to a three legged horse in a race, and sadly not as entertaining. (I know some of you are thinking I'm awful for that right now and are taking a moment to think the worst of me.) Thankfully, Italo Calvino lent his hand to the collecting and retelling of Italian folktales and so all the stories in this book have his excellent gift for entertaining telling. This helps at times where the stories run the risk of sounding otherwise repetitive, which happens often in folktales. Most often collections of folk tales are either slim volumes of a few stories that have been continuously recycled or you have to buy several books in a series to obtain the complete collection by a certain editor. This book weighs in at 800 pages and so you can sit rooted in the same spot for days while reading all of the stories. I don't actually recommend doing that. Here is how I propose you read stories from the book: Prepare a pot of whatever warm beverage tickles your fancy, (this can be anything from mulled cider to tea to coffee), find the most comfortable place in the house, (if you are pet owner this will be the place that your cat or dog is likely already occupying in this case you must displace them), make sure that the only noise that may disrupt you is from the local wildlife outside your window, if you have other people to read with or to gather them as well only make sure they don't take your comfy spot, open the book, read the introduction, (well being realistic you will nobly try and read it for two sentences, then you will skim for a couple of paragraphs and then you will give up), and begin with the first story. It's okay to take the occasional break from reading the tales however I recommend that you do not give it up for more than a few minutes at a time! If you have your doubts about how good this collection might be I'll have you know that this book is so well liked that I have had it stolen from me, twice. So please go out and invest the money into your own copy of the book and leave mine to my bookshelf!...more

My mother gave me this book when I was seven years old. She got it from a salesman who was smart enough to convince her that the book was perfect for a seven years old, even though it was a book of more than a thousand pages, and an expensive one, with an heavy binding that made it difficult for a little boy to handle. Well, this was probably the best gift I ever had. I read the book countless times, totally fascinated by the weirdness of the characters and by the gruesomeness of the stories, elMy mother gave me this book when I was seven years old. She got it from a salesman who was smart enough to convince her that the book was perfect for a seven years old, even though it was a book of more than a thousand pages, and an expensive one, with an heavy binding that made it difficult for a little boy to handle. Well, this was probably the best gift I ever had. I read the book countless times, totally fascinated by the weirdness of the characters and by the gruesomeness of the stories, elements that hugely enhanced the sweet flavour of the unavoidable happy endings. German and Nordic folktales in comparison were for little kid, I thought back then.

It was because of this book that I later fell in love with the magnificent work of Italo Calvino. It started my obsession with the structuralist analysis of fairy tales of Vladimir Propp as well, and a passion and respect for folktales still alive after so many years. ...more

Calvino wanted to be Italy's Brothers Grimm. Not in the sense of collecting the tales, which folklorists had been doing, but creating a popular collection. This is the result, down to the 200 tales. He notes that he also, like the Grimms, spruced up the tales. Unlike them, he put in end notes about what tales he combined, and what little details he added. (He went by the language and not by the country's borders.)

It's a wide variety, including some religious legends and animal fables and tales aCalvino wanted to be Italy's Brothers Grimm. Not in the sense of collecting the tales, which folklorists had been doing, but creating a popular collection. This is the result, down to the 200 tales. He notes that he also, like the Grimms, spruced up the tales. Unlike them, he put in end notes about what tales he combined, and what little details he added. (He went by the language and not by the country's borders.)

It's a wide variety, including some religious legends and animal fables and tales about fools, but it's mostly fairy tales. A few are retellings of Greek myths, like Perseus, or the Cyclopes, after they are run through the folkloric lathe to pare them down to simplicity. A few others are obviously derived from the chivalric romance, also pared down.

A familiarity with many tales will often recognize them and what fillips Italy added -- which sometimes Calvino noted as well. "A Man Wreathed With Seaweed" is a common European tale, except that elsewhere the hero has to be lowered through a well or other hole in the ground "The Ship With Three Decks" combines an opening like "The Lord of Lorn" with a tale type like "The Firebird, the Princess Vasilisa, and the Horse of Power." "Bella Venezia" gives a Snow White tale with a innkeeper not a queen, and bandits instead of dwarves -- and guess how the bandits get into their cave. A girl must be silent for seven years to save her brothers not from being birds, but from Hell -- and instead of her husband the king only be persuaded to execute her at the very end of that time, she has to flee and ends up with bandits. "Misfortune" is one I've only run across in Mediterranean tales -- a heroine whose Fortune is bad. We have children born as apples and rosemary plants, crabs and snakes. In one, two royal children reclaim their kingdom from their wicked uncle before the brother foolishly marries a beggar woman, whose new position goes to her head and makes her hate her sister-in-law. A Cinderella tale where first the heroine sneaked into the prince's castle to do mischief.

I wish my parents had read this aloud to me when I was little- perhaps one of the best collections of fairy tales I've ever read. Calvino finds a very strong narrative voice while still managing to balance his own typical style and the speaking style of those who told him the stories in the first place.

My favorite is a similar story to little red riding hood except with an ogre..."Grandmother, what a big neck you have...""I've always worn such heavy jeweled necklaces my dear.""Grandmother, whatI wish my parents had read this aloud to me when I was little- perhaps one of the best collections of fairy tales I've ever read. Calvino finds a very strong narrative voice while still managing to balance his own typical style and the speaking style of those who told him the stories in the first place.

My favorite is a similar story to little red riding hood except with an ogre..."Grandmother, what a big neck you have...""I've always worn such heavy jeweled necklaces my dear.""Grandmother, what hairy hips you have...""I always wore my corset a bit too tight my dear." ...more

"Over a seven-year period, Calvino wrote three realist novels, The White Schooner (1947–1949), Youth in Turin (1950–1951), and The Queen's Necklace (1952–54), but all were deemed defective.[28] During the eighteen months it took to complete I giovani del Po (Youth in Turin), he made an important self-discovery: "I began doing what came most naturally to me – that is, following the memory of the things I had loved bWell, Neil Gaiman gave it five stars...

and Wikipedia had this intriguing insight:

"Over a seven-year period, Calvino wrote three realist novels, The White Schooner (1947–1949), Youth in Turin (1950–1951), and The Queen's Necklace (1952–54), but all were deemed defective.[28] During the eighteen months it took to complete I giovani del Po (Youth in Turin), he made an important self-discovery: "I began doing what came most naturally to me – that is, following the memory of the things I had loved best since boyhood. Instead of making myself write the book I ought to write, the novel that was expected of me, I conjured up the book I myself would have liked to read, the sort by an unknown writer, from another age and another country, discovered in an attic."[29] The result was Il visconte dimezzato (1952; The Cloven Viscount) composed in 30 days between July and September 1951. The protagonist, a seventeenth century viscount sundered in two by a cannonball, incarnated Calvino's growing political doubts and the divisive turbulence of the Cold War.[30] Skillfully interweaving elements of the fable and the fantasy genres, the allegorical novel launched him as a modern "fabulist".[31] In 1954, Giulio Einaudi commissioned his Fiabe Italiane (1956; Italian Folktales) on the basis of the question, "Is there an Italian equivalent of the Brothers Grimm?"[32] For two years, Calvino collated tales found in 19th century collections across Italy then translated 200 of the finest from various dialects into Italian. Key works he read at this time were Vladimir Propp's Morphology of the Folktale and Historical Roots of Russian Fairy Tales, stimulating his own ideas on the origin, shape and function of the story.[33]"...more

200 folktales ... I feel like I have completed a major reading project.

Reading folktales/fairytales, it's fun to see some of the similarities in European stories and start to pick up not only national but regional idiosyncrasies. This extensive collection of Italian tales not only has similarities to some very familiar stories but some also have threads of Arabic tales and Roman myths. This is my first experience of Italian folktales outside of Roman mythology, so one of the things I don't reall200 folktales ... I feel like I have completed a major reading project.

Reading folktales/fairytales, it's fun to see some of the similarities in European stories and start to pick up not only national but regional idiosyncrasies. This extensive collection of Italian tales not only has similarities to some very familiar stories but some also have threads of Arabic tales and Roman myths. This is my first experience of Italian folktales outside of Roman mythology, so one of the things I don't really understand is the fascination with the Kings and Queens of Spain or Portugal -- they were mentioned in a great number of stories -- but this connection was never really explained. I think my favorites were the St. Peter stories, in which he is the raucous petty Everyman, which are very humorous.

My only suggestion for this kind of anthology is that the organization of the stories could have been better -- by region or group similar stories together with their regional variations. There is a section at the end of Author's notes in which Calvino explains where he found each story or added some additional information. For me, these would have been more helpful to be placed by each tale instead of a section at the end of the book.

"And tbere they lived a life happy and long, But nothing did they ever give me for my song."...more

This is a masterful collection of Italian Folktales, where the reader is lured into a world of flux, of metamorphoses, where kings and peasants, tricksters and saints, and a whole zoology* of extraordinary animals, plants and fish wend their way through the landscape and history of the Italian nation.

Italian Folktales (Fiabe Italiane) is a collection of 200 folktales, collated from various regions around Italy, and from the works of a whole army of collectors, folklorists, ethnologists etc., makThis is a masterful collection of Italian Folktales, where the reader is lured into a world of flux, of metamorphoses, where kings and peasants, tricksters and saints, and a whole zoology* of extraordinary animals, plants and fish wend their way through the landscape and history of the Italian nation.

Italian Folktales (Fiabe Italiane) is a collection of 200 folktales, collated from various regions around Italy, and from the works of a whole army of collectors, folklorists, ethnologists etc., making use of an extensive collection of work compiled over the centuries. Italo Calvino started this undertaking in 1954 (published 1956), with the intention of emulating The Brothers Grimm, and producing a collection of tales that would be popular amongst the general reading public. Within these pages we follow a nations collective psyche, yield to the joyous imagination and complexity of the human experience.

This is a fun book with a whole lot (200) of cute and sometimes dark folktales. There are some great ones, like what has to be the basis for Beauty and the Beast. The writing is great as it always is with Calvino.

The problem is that there are wayyyyy too many. 800 pages of folktales is too long. After 50 or so they can get repetitive and formulaic. I ended up skipping a bunch of stories. Because of this I couldn't rationalize 3 stars, even though the enjoyment level was definitely there.

This wouThis is a fun book with a whole lot (200) of cute and sometimes dark folktales. There are some great ones, like what has to be the basis for Beauty and the Beast. The writing is great as it always is with Calvino.

The problem is that there are wayyyyy too many. 800 pages of folktales is too long. After 50 or so they can get repetitive and formulaic. I ended up skipping a bunch of stories. Because of this I couldn't rationalize 3 stars, even though the enjoyment level was definitely there.

This would be a really great book to read to a kid (although beware of the violence and monsters), or something to pick up and read 3-4 at a time over the course of a year, but to try to work through the whole thing straight is not something I recommend....more

I've been reading it, with varying degrees of intensity, since early 2004.

It is a 700+ page book of 200 folktales with notes and intros.

I tried to read one fairy tale every day. I failed that goal, but I came close at times.

These stories were so crazy, and yet most echoed motifs and structures of the fairy tales of other cultures.

I am so completely fascinated with the psychological need in society that has perpetuated theThese are some seriously crazy fairy tales.

I finally finished this book.

I've been reading it, with varying degrees of intensity, since early 2004.

It is a 700+ page book of 200 folktales with notes and intros.

I tried to read one fairy tale every day. I failed that goal, but I came close at times.

These stories were so crazy, and yet most echoed motifs and structures of the fairy tales of other cultures.

I am so completely fascinated with the psychological need in society that has perpetuated these stories through the ages and cross cultures. I keep wondering if there is a meta-story, a pure fairy tale that is the root of all fairy tale, somewhere out there . . . something that I can spend my existence looking for. Like the Anti-Life Equation.

Containing short (2-3 page) old folktales, this is a charming collection. Not the type of thing you pick up and read from front to back (nearly 800 pages, 200 stories) more something you would pick up to read one or two before bed or to a child. Not a Calvino novel in the vein of the others of his I've read, but a very worthwhile addition to the bookcase.

Ah an oldie but a goodie ... pulled this out to read some of the tales to my 3 year old. While she fell asleep during the 1st one, I kept reading. This is a book I've read before (parts), but enjoy again and again.

My Grandmother, from Italy, would tell my brother and I Giufa stories every night. We loved them. I have become the teller of Giufa stories. I was convinced that my Grandmother had made all these stories up about this poor farmboy, and his mother.

When my eldest son was in 1st Grade, he asked me one night after a Giufa story, "Is Giufa real, Dad." Wanting my son to believe these stories to get the full impact, I replied, "Of course."Then my son said, "Then tomorrow when we go to the library we cMy Grandmother, from Italy, would tell my brother and I Giufa stories every night. We loved them. I have become the teller of Giufa stories. I was convinced that my Grandmother had made all these stories up about this poor farmboy, and his mother.

When my eldest son was in 1st Grade, he asked me one night after a Giufa story, "Is Giufa real, Dad." Wanting my son to believe these stories to get the full impact, I replied, "Of course."Then my son said, "Then tomorrow when we go to the library we can get Giufa books!""Yes," I squirmed, hoping he would forget.When I picked him up from school, he excitedly said, "Let's go get Giufa books!"After looking for a long time for these books, I told my son, "He is so popular, they are all checked out.""Let's ask the librarian." My lie was up. She looked at my son and said, I don't think we have a book on Giufa, but we do have a book on ITALIAN FOLKTALES. She got the book, the heavens opened, trumpets sounded, and divine light focused on the book. Inside were eight Giufa stories. I was in shock, as my Grandmother did not make them up. He was a real literary character.

Calvino was a genius. He collected stories from Italy in places where reading and writing were not developed. This book contains so many great stories, and have been read to my kids when they were young.

I am grateful to the storytellers from the beginning to Calvino....more

Italo Calvino (1923-85) was an Italian national treasure, best known for his fiction and rightly so. This book, however, is a departure from his better known offerings; a collection of two hundred Italian folktales. It is a large work, 766 pages, but each story is relatively short and for me it has stayed in easy reach on my nightstand since I bought it over a decade ago. Stories can be chosen at random, each a little gem of insight into the culture of a different region. If you are curious abouItalo Calvino (1923-85) was an Italian national treasure, best known for his fiction and rightly so. This book, however, is a departure from his better known offerings; a collection of two hundred Italian folktales. It is a large work, 766 pages, but each story is relatively short and for me it has stayed in easy reach on my nightstand since I bought it over a decade ago. Stories can be chosen at random, each a little gem of insight into the culture of a different region. If you are curious about what makes Italy tick, what better way to start than with the tales that have been passed down from parents and grandparents to children generation after generation.

It is beautifully written, and ably translated to English by George Martin. Meticulous footnotes add fascinating provenance as well as personal revelations about Calvino’s process and interaction with sources. Although I did not find this volume until mid-life, I am sure I would have treasured it as a child and will still find substance in it as a crotchety old man. And in the end, is that not the very definition of a successful folktale?...more

Italo Calvino was born in Cuba and grew up in Italy. He was a journalist and writer of short stories and novels. His best known works include the Our Ancestors trilogy (1952-1959), the Cosmicomics collection of short stories (1965), and the novels Invisible Cities (1972) and If On a Winter's Night a Traveler (1979).

His style is not easily classified; much of his writing has an air of the fantasticItalo Calvino was born in Cuba and grew up in Italy. He was a journalist and writer of short stories and novels. His best known works include the Our Ancestors trilogy (1952-1959), the Cosmicomics collection of short stories (1965), and the novels Invisible Cities (1972) and If On a Winter's Night a Traveler (1979).

His style is not easily classified; much of his writing has an air of the fantastic reminiscent of fairy tales (Our Ancestors, Cosmicomics), although sometimes his writing is more "realistic" and in the scenic mode of observation (Difficult Loves, for example). Some of his writing has been called postmodern, reflecting on literature and the act of reading, while some has been labeled magical realist, others fables, others simply "modern". He wrote: "My working method has more often than not involved the subtraction of weight. I have tried to remove weight, sometimes from people, sometimes from heavenly bodies, sometimes from cities; above all I have tried to remove weight from the structure of stories and from language."...more